Zinedine Zidane

Ba 15/09/2012

Zinedine Yazid Zidane

Is a retired French footballer who is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Zidane played as an attacking midfielder, and was the leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. An injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches in the 2002 World Cup, and he rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being eliminated in the group stage.

He later participated to the 2004 European Championship where France finished in the top of their group, but they were eliminated by the eventual winner of the competition, Greece, in the quarter finals. After these disillusions, he briefly retired from international football but returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player.

In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire

While Zidane's final season of club football ended without a trophy, he enjoyed success on a personal note by scoring his first hat-trick against Sevilla FC in a 42 win in January 2006.[27] He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goalscorer and assists provider behind teammates Ronaldo and Beckham respectively, with 9 goals and 10 assists in 28 games.[28] On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup, [29] played his last home match and scored in a 33 draw with Villarreal. The squad wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 20012006 below the club logo. He left Real Madrid at the end of the season.

The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in. It was held in his home country France. The French team won all three games in the group stage but Zidane was sent off in the second match against Saudi Arabia for a stamp on Fuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive a red card in a World Cup finals. Without their suspended playmaker France proceeded to win 10 in the last sixteen games against Paraguay and, on his return to the side, defeated Italy 43 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter finals. France then defeated Croatia 21 in the semi final. Zidane played a major role in the team's accomplishment, though he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.

France had a slow start to the 2006 World Cup and, after being suspended for the final match of the group stage, Zidane returned to set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match against Spain. In the quarter final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assisted Thierry Henry's deciding goal and he was named Man of the Match by FIFA.[37] France faced Portugal in the semi final and, as in Brussels six years earlier; Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.

Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football, and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision.[43] He was sentenced by FIFA to a three game suspension for his red card, but since he had retired from professional football, he agreed to complete three days of community service with children as part of FIFAs humanitarian projects